Protecting Carolyn
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: For the rest of the night, they sat in each other’s arms and talked. And when her eyes closed, he gently pulled her against his chest and laid back against the arm of the couch, his hand toying with a thick curl as he drifted into a deep, troubled sleep..
1. Chapter 1

Okay, all my MC fans, here's my newest story, Protecting Carolyn. Yes, the title is a little cheesy, but it stuck, so I kept it. This is also my 146th story, so yay! Enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: Why are you reading this? They ain't mine!

This chapter is dedicated to Podie1, my biggest MC story reviewer!

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" the judge asked, and the foreperson nodded solemnly. "Will the defendant please rise?" The defendant and his lawyer rose, and the judge asked, "What is your verdict?"

"We find the defendant," the foreman started, glancing across the room. "Guilty on all counts."

An eruption of cheers swept through the courtroom, and Carolyn Barek smiled proudly as they led Aiden Durchek away in cuffs and chains. But at the door, he turned and shot her a hate filled glare, one that sent shivers up and down her spine.

She shook the feeling off as her partner and captain congratulated her on a job well done, and she soon forgot about Aiden Durchek.

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"How bad did you get it?" Carolyn asked her partner as she chewed on the end of her pen. Mike grinned sheepishly at her and took his seat.

"Not as bad as it could've been," he answered truthfully, and she tossed the pen, hitting him dead in the center of his forehead.

Before he could retaliate, Deakins opened the door of his office and said, "Logan, Barek, my office, now!" The partners exchanged nervous glances before rising to their feet and warily trooping into the captain's office.

Carolyn sat in the chair in front of Deakins desk, but Mike rested his shoulder against the wall and crossed his arms defensively over his chest. "What's up, Cap?" he asked, and Deakins frowned at him, then turned the T.V. on.

As the object of the camera's focus came into view, all color drained from Carolyn's face.

"After nearly nine years, Aiden Durchek has been released from prison," the newscaster announced, and Mike's eyebrows arched as Carolyn's knuckles turned white from gripping the armrest of the chair.

Deakins turned the T.V. off and sank down into the chair with a deep sigh. Mike's eyes skittered back and forth between his partner and captain, and he said, "Okay, what's going on here?"

Before any answers could be given, Carolyn stood up and darted out of the office, leaving Mike to stare at the wide open door. "What the hell was that?" he demanded, and Deakins slowly rose to his feet again, running one hand through his steely gray hair.

"Aiden Durchek," Deakins sighed, "nearly killed your partner nine years ago."

Mike's knees buckled, and he grabbed the doorframe for support. "What?" he whispered, his head spinning violently.

"I can't tell you everything right now, but you do need to go find her and bring her back here. Now," Deakins stated, and for once, Mike didn't argue with him. Without another word, he ran out of the office in search of his frightened partner.

Snow was falling in thick sheets as Mike walked through the entrance doors of the building, and he looked around. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a figure leaning against the wall, and he sighed in relief when he recognized the tousled brown curls. He jogged up to her, and his heart clenched when he saw the tears on her cheeks.

"Carolyn, I-"

She surprised him by throwing her arms around his neck and holding onto him for dear life, but he quickly recovered and slipped his arms around her waist, holding her protectively against his chest.

They were silent for several minutes, until Carolyn finally said, "He's going to kill me, Mike. He's going to kill me."

A cold hatred filled him, and he tightened his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "No, he's not," Mike swore vehemently, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I won't let him get anywhere near you."

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He handed her a cup of coffee, then sat down beside her and sipped at his own drink. They sat in silence for a few minutes, until she finally cleared her throat and said, "Mike, I'm scared."

Her admission shook him. The way she said it, it was almost as if she was hoping he would protect her and make everything alright. He hated to bring up those horrible memories for her, but he needed to know. "Carolyn, what happened to you?" he asked softly, turning his body on the couch to face her.

Her eyes filled with tears, and she gripped her cup tightly in her hands. "It was… it happened almost nine years ago. I was just starting with the FBI, and he had found me. It started very sweetly, but somewhere along the way, he became insane when I tried to tell him that I was engaged."

Mike looked at her in amazement, and she shrugged one shoulder as she absently sipped her coffee.

"He began stalking me, sending me dead roses and rats at my home. I took out a restraining order on him, and it seemed to work. But the attack happened a few weeks later. I had come home after doing a two day stakeout with my partner." She took a shaky breath, her hands trembling as she placed the coffee mug on the table in front of her. "I don't remember much, but I do remember when he… when he-" She covered her face with one shaking hand, and Mike watched her anxiously.

"Car, if you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to," he stated firmly, but she shook her head and wiped away the tears, then continued.

"He raped me, Mike. The bastard raped me, then left me for dead. The doctors told me that if I had lost any more blood, I would've died. Everyone told me how lucky I was to be alive. But I didn't think so."

He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and laid one big hand on her shoulder. "I think… I'm thankful that you're alive, Carolyn. My life would be very boring if you weren't around," he joked weakly, and she smiled and brushed a tear away.

"Thanks."

His smile faded, and she shivered as his thumb absently ran over her jaw line. "I promise you, no one can hurt you now, Carolyn. I won't let that bastard or any of his goons near you. I promise."

She suddenly pulled away from his touch, her eyes focusing on the wall as she said, "That's exactly what Danny had said to me, right before…" She choked on a sob that escaped, and as she cried, he slid closer to her and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her waist.

The fact that he was holding her nearly knocked her off of her feet, since they had never held each other this intimately, except when they were undercover. But she allowed him to continue holding her, reveling in the warmth that she hadn't known for nearly a decade.

"They killed him, Mike," she finally whispered, and Mike froze. "That night that they raped me, they killed my fiancé. They broke in, and he hid me in a closet while he tried to fight them off. He tried to protect me, and he lost his life for it." Tears poured from her eyes, and she buried her face in Mike's shoulder.

Holding his partner in his arms, Mike suspected that this was the first time she had ever told anyone the full story, and he felt honored knowing that she trusted him enough to allow him to help carry her heavy burden.

"Car… I know you might think it was, but it wasn't your fault. Danny must have loved you very much to want to protect you like that. And that was his choice. You didn't make him leave, and you didn't kill him," Mike said quietly, his hand running up and down the small of her back slowly.

"But he died. Because of me." She wiped the tears away and sat upright, her solemn brown eyes focusing intently on Mike. "And I'm not going to let history repeat itself. If this bastard does come after me again, he's not going to get the chance to hurt you. I'll kill him with my own bare hands before he lays one finger on you," she vowed, her normally soft and gentle eyes filled with anger and a hatred that he had never seen there before.

"Carolyn, this guy isn't going to touch me. Don't worry about me. We need to be worrying about you, and whether or not this guy knows where you are," he stated firmly.

She held her hand against her eyes, then said, "Mike, it won't matter. Don't you understand? This guy likes to torture me by hurting the people I love!"

His jaw dropped as a blush crept over her cheeks. "Really? You love me?"

"Of course I do," she muttered, staring at her jeans.

A smile crept across his face, and he cupped her chin in his hand and looked into her eyes as he said, "I love you too, Carolyn. That's why I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I won't." She looked up at him with wide eyes, as though she couldn't believe what he was saying. Here he was, admitting his feelings for her.

He saw her expression, and he wondered if that had been the right time to profess his true feelings for her. "Car, maybe this wasn't the right-"

Before he could say anything else, she leaned forward and pressed her lips lightly against his. When she pulled away, she saw that his eyes were half shut and his lips were slightly parted. "Are you sure?" she whispered, and he opened his eyes and nodded confidently at her.

"I'm not leaving you, Carolyn. Not now, not ever," he vowed, cupping her cheek with his hand.. She shut her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"Thank you, Mike," she said softly, and he smiled when she moved into his side and pulled his arm around herself.

For the rest of the night, they sat in each other's arms and talked. And when her eyes closed, he gently pulled her against his chest and laid back against the arm of the couch, his hand toying with a thick curl as he drifted into a deep, yet troubled sleep.

TBC...

A/N: Well, there we go! And yes, I know I haven't updated the others in a while, but have patience! It'll be worth the wait! Please review!


	2. No Sleep For The Weary

For star jelly, who asked for a sneak peek and instead got an update! Thanks, jelly!

Disclaimer: Not mine!

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Mike's eyes popped open. Hearing strange noises and feeling someone or something move against him, he frowned. Looking down at the mop of brown curls, it took him a moment to realize it was Carolyn. He shook her gently. "Carolyn..."

She cried out in her sleep, caught in the tentacles of a horrendous nightmare.

Growing more worried about her, Mike shook her more vigorously. "Carolyn! Carolyn, wake up..."

Finally she startled awake, gasping and agitated. "Mike!"

Mike took a shaky breath. He took her face in his hand. "I'm right here. I'm okay."

Her chest heaved as she finally looked up at him. "Mike..."

Mike nodded slowly. He swallowed hard. "Yeah..." He met her eyes.

Looking around the living room, she realized that they were alone. Knowing they were safe, that he was safe, she crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him miserably.

Mike swallowed hard. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close. He kissed the top of her head. "He's not going to hurt you. Not ever again."

"But he'll try to hurt you," she whispered. "He'll do it to hurt me."

Mike met her eyes again. He insisted, "I'm not going to let him. We're both going to be fine."

She broke the gaze and rested her head on his shoulder as she continued to cling to him. He didn't know what the son of a bitch was capable of. She did.

Mike sighed. He tightened his hold, stroking her back. He wished he could take all of it away. He wished he could give her more than bravado.

She sighed deeply, wishing that they could stay like this forever. At least like this, she could make sure that he was safe. That bastard couldn't lay a finger on him as long as she was there to protect him.

Shattering glass broke the quiet of the living room, and Carolyn nearly jumped out of her skin. "What the hell was that?" she whispered, hoping against everything that it wasn't what she was fearing.

Mike was on alert. He shook his head. "I don t know. Stay here." He moved her back on the couch and got up. He moved to his jacket and grabbed his gun. He'd kill whoever it was and ask questions later.

She got up and followed him, grabbing his arm. "Mike, stay here," she hissed. "Please."

Mike snorted. He shook his head. He whispered, "No. I'm going in there, and I'm going to kill him." He pulled away from her.

She followed after him, her heart pounding. She couldn't let him do this. She couldn't. Stepping in front of him, she rested her hands on his chest. "Please, Mike. Let's call 911." She was a cop, but she didn't care. She knew what the bastard wanted, and she knew he d be willing to kill to get it.

Mike sighed. He met her eyes. "Fine. Call 9-1-1. Get us some backup." He was still going to go in there though.

He pushed past her, and it was all she could do to grab the phone and call 911.

Mike glanced at her and then slipped into the room where the noise had been heard. He turned on the light.

A silhouetted figure came across the room, lunging at Mike.

Carolyn's blood ran cold when she heard a struggle in the bedroom, and she ran in.

Crying out in pain, Mike didn't stop. Tackling the guy to the ground, he ignored the blood and struggled for the knife.

The room was dark, but Carolyn could make out the other man, and she ran at him. Taking him off guard, she shoved him against the wall and pinned him there. Her cuffs were on the dresser, and she reached over and grabbed them with one hand, slamming them roughly onto Mike's assailant's wrists.

Mike kicked the knife away from the man, making sure he wasn't a threat anymore. His breathing was labored, and he felt the pain for the first time. Looking down, he saw the blood coming from the new wound. He reached out and almost touched it and then hissed in pain.

Carolyn snapped her head back toward Mike. Pulling her gun from the holster, she slammed it against the bastard's head, rendering him unconscious. When he hit the ground and she knew he wouldn't get up again, she went back to Mike's side. He was on the floor, and she dropped to her knee beside him. "Mike..."

Mike took a shaky breath. He looked up at her. He hadn't meant to lose his footing and fall. "It's okay. I'm okay. It's just a scratch."

Pushing herself up again, she went to the wall and searched for the light. The room flooded with light, and she went back to her partner's side. That's when she saw the blood, and bile rose in her throat. Looking around, she spotted one of her shirts laying abandoned on the floor, and she quickly grabbed it. Then she wadded it up and pressed it against his abdomen. "I know," she whispered hoarsely when he let out a pained hiss. "Just relax."

Mike closed his eyes and took shaky breaths. He looked over at the guy. "You're good with that gun..." He tried to smile.

Keeping pressure against his stomach, she reached over and gently stroked his hair with a shaking hand. "I had to subdue him somehow," she muttered.

Mike nodded again. He agreed, "Yeah, and you did a good job..."

She looked over at the assailant, growling lowly. Then a deep sorrow filled her eyes. "This is all my fault," she muttered. "I... I should have never brought you into this."

Mike frowned. He shook his head, arguing, "Don't do that. You didn't do anything wrong, Carolyn. I'll be fine. I want to be here. I love you. Don't do that to yourself."

"I didn't want to bring you here," she insisted weakly. "I knew the risks, and look what happened."

Mike sighed. "And I stayed. I wanted to be here. I wasn't going to leave you alone. Don't think you're going to push me away now."

"It would be safer for you." Outside, she could finally hear sirens, and she sighed in relief.

Mike snorted. "I don't care about safer for me. I care about keeping you safe."

"And I have to keep you safe, you stubborn bastard."

Mike raised his eyebrows. He met her eyes. "I'm fine. Really."

"Mike, he hurt you! He could have killed you!" She didn't want to say what she was really feeling. She didn't want him to know that deep down, she was so afraid that he actually could die.

Mike frowned. He searched her eyes, trying to reassure her, "But he didn't. He's not going to. It's just a little scratch. Really."

The blood that was still gushing, doing little to reassure her.

Mike met her eyes again. He sighed heavily. "Please, believe me. I've had worse. I'll be fine."

She pulled her gaze from his, applying more pressure to his abdomen.

Mike swallowed hard. He groaned softly. "Damn..."

"Sorry." Sorry she whispered. "But I have to."

Mike nodded. He sighed. "I know. It's fine. Don't worry about it."

There was a loud crash as someone slammed the door open, and Carolyn nearly jumped out of her skin. "We're in here!" she shouted when she heard another officer call for them.

Mike looked up at them as they entered the room. "He's right there." He pointed to his unconscious assailant.

Two of the officers went to the suspect, while a paramedic knelt down beside Mike. Giving Carolyn a gentle smile, he pushed her hand away so he could see Mike's injury. "Well, Detective, looks like you're coming with us tonight."

Mike gave the paramedic a look. He shook his head. "No. I'm not staying in the hospital tonight."

"Mike," Carolyn snapped. "You're still bleeding."

"From a very nasty cut," the medic observed. "That's going to need some stitches, if you're lucky."

Mike sighed in exasperation. "Fine. Stitch me up and let me go home." He had to protect Carolyn.

The medic leaned down to get a better look at the wound. "I said if you're lucky. You may have to have surgery."

Mike gave the medic a frustrated look. "I can't be hospitalized right now. That's just unacceptable."

The medic gave him a stern look. "I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Detective."

Mike gave him a frustrated look. He looked at Carolyn. "Come with us... Stay at the hospital. He won't come after you with a hospital full of people." He'd get guards for her if he felt like he had to.

She nodded. She wasn't agreeing to be safe. She was agreeing because there was no way in hell that she wasn't going with him.

Mike relaxed a little. He sighed softly. "Okay..." He sighed heavily and looked at the medic. "Fine. Let's go."

"Good." A stretcher was produced, and the two paramedics carefully lifted Mike onto it.

Carolyn pushed past them to get to Mike's side. Looking down at him, she slipped her hand into his.

Mike gave her hand a soft squeeze. He looked up at her and sighed. "I'm really okay. I promise."

One of the medics, Martinez, didn't like the way Mike was breathing. Grabbing an oxygen mask, he slipped it over the injured man's face.

Mike narrowed his eyes for a moment. "This really isn't necessary."

"Your breathing isn't right, Detective. It's just a precaution."

"Don't fight him, Mike," Carolyn pleaded.

Mike sighed heavily. "I'm not fighting. Just saying it's not necessary."

She held onto his hand tighter, following them as they carried Mike out of the bedroom.

Mike sighed heavily. He let go of her hand as they loaded him into the bus.

Carolyn quickly climbed into the back of the ambulance, finding a spot out of the way to sit down. Then she grabbed his hand again, squeezing it.

Mike swallowed hard. He looked over at her. "I love you."

She reached over and gently stroked his hair. "I love you, too, baby."

Mike watched her. He hesitated a moment. "We should call Bobby and Alex. Have them meet us there." He wanted her protected.

"I'll call them," she promised. She'd do just that later.

Mike nodded. He insisted, "Do it immediately when we get there. I don't want you alone... vulnerable."

Her thumb stroked his skin. "Okay. I will."

Mike tried to relax. "Good. Thank you." He was only worried about her.

She reached out and gently stroked his cheek. All she wanted was for him to relax and be okay.

Mike met her eyes. "I can't lose you."

"You're not going to," she whispered, slightly confused. "I'm staying right with you."

Mike relaxed a little and nodded. "Good." He could know she was safe then. He could see with his own eyes.

Gently picking his hand up, she held it to her mouth and kissed it softly. Then she rested her forehead against his hand.

Mike sighed and tried to relax. He had to ignore the pain. He was finding that the pain was getting worse and that irritated him.

Lacing her fingers through his, she let out a deep sigh.

Mike watched her. He studied her. He was so in love with her.

When she saw him staring at her, she managed a little smile, holding his hand tighter.

Mike swallowed hard. "I'm really going to be okay."

"I know." She had to believe that. She kissed his hand again, reaching down to gently caress his hair.

Mike swallowed hard. His eyes slipped shut. The pain was continuing to get worse. He took a shaky breath. He just wanted to get up and prove to Carolyn that he was fine.

She frowned deeply, then looked at one of the medics. "He's in pain. Is there anything you can do?"

Shawn nodded, pulling out a syringe. "This should help." He picked up Mike's other arm and smoothly slid the needle into Mike's arm.

Mike hissed in pain. He almost jerked away. He glared at the medic and then Carolyn. He hated needles, but he didn't speak. His eyes slipped shut, and he was out in moments.

Guilt pricked at her, but she knew he was in pain, and it was the only way to stop it. She lowered her head, but didn't release his hand. She needed his contact as badly as he needed hers, and she wasn't going to deny either of them. Lowering her head, she kissed his lips softly. "Be okay, Mike," she whispered, focusing on the even rising and falling of his chest.

"Be okay."

TBC...

A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed. Please remember to review!


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